Passion
My passion is building positive relationships with youth so that I can promote social responsibility and motivate students to set and accomplish goals using their unique strengths.
Values
POSITIVE SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS- Research shows that kids who have one consistent adult role model are more resilient than students without one. I believe that students greatly benefit from having an adult figure to advocate for them and serve as a role model teaching positive values.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY- Students have the power to create change within their peer groups, schools, and communities. I believe this starts with empathy, teamwork, and advocacy. When students care about one another and are able to work with others, they then have the tools to take responsibility and work together to overcome the challenges in their communities.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY- Students have the power to create change within their peer groups, schools, and communities. I believe this starts with empathy, teamwork, and advocacy. When students care about one another and are able to work with others, they then have the tools to take responsibility and work together to overcome the challenges in their communities.
GOAL SETTING BASED ON ACTION IN REALITY- Whether a goal is big or small, the accomplishment can improve a student's self-esteem and sense of mastery. There is an art to setting realistic individual goals that requires resiliency, self-reflection, action, self-advocacy, responsibility, and determination. When students learn how to effectively set and accomplish goals, they have a skill that will benefit them personally, academically, and physically during school and their careers.
WHOLE CHILD WELLNESS- Each student has a different network of people who influence and support them in their ecological system. By understanding all of the people, relationships, institutions, and systems that play a role in a student's life, I can help the whole-child establish goals for their personal, mental, and physical wellness.
personal Goals
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS FEEL SAFE AND SUPPORTED IN MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES- I want to create an environment where students can create change personally and within their schools and communities.
CONTINUE LEARNING AND IMPROVING- My experience in schools and non-profits along with the students I work with continues to inspire me to improve my ability as a collaborator, motivator, leader, and advocate.
My story
My passion for working with youth started at a small non-profit camp called Camp Impact in Arlington, TX. Throughout high school, I volunteered a week each summer to lead groups of children from local women's and homeless shelters in fun activities like theater games, sports, swimming, and science experiments. This opportunity helped me start to understand my privilege and the power I had to act and help youth from disenfranchised environments.
After graduating from the University of Colorado with a double major in Psychology and Biology, I moved to New York City to work for Harlem RBI. At Harlem RBI, I worked with elementary students to improve their literacy in the classroom and promoted teamwork during activities and softball practice. After a summer at Harlem RBI, I became the Events Manager and a Youth Development Mentor at Play Rugby USA. As a Youth Development Mentor in an after school program at an elementary school in Harlem, I taught flag rugby to kids, but I did much more than that. I built relationships with students. I comforted a student whose big brother was shot and hospitalized. I learned about the violence in their neighborhood and how it was normal for them to run away from gunshots on a Saturday afternoon. While I knew that I could do something to help these students, I had no idea where I was supposed to start in helping them overcome trauma, community violence, and institutional failure. All of these questions pushed me to learn as much as I could about youth and effective interventions and preventions.
I started attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2012. I had the opportunity to learn effective intervention and prevention techniques from many amazing professors, group discussions, and internships. These 2 years taught me the importance of creating theories of change based on research; working with students, families, schools, and communities to set and accomplish common goals; and focusing on the strengths and funds of knowledge each person and group brings to the table. I also learned that I am a passionate motivator and supporter, a valuable collaborator, and a patient and group-oriented leader.
When I am not working with youth, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing touch rugby, hiking, and exercising. I love exploring new places, eating and cooking delicious food, and taking photographs of nature. Doing arts and crafts projects help me endure the cold New England winters.
After graduating from the University of Colorado with a double major in Psychology and Biology, I moved to New York City to work for Harlem RBI. At Harlem RBI, I worked with elementary students to improve their literacy in the classroom and promoted teamwork during activities and softball practice. After a summer at Harlem RBI, I became the Events Manager and a Youth Development Mentor at Play Rugby USA. As a Youth Development Mentor in an after school program at an elementary school in Harlem, I taught flag rugby to kids, but I did much more than that. I built relationships with students. I comforted a student whose big brother was shot and hospitalized. I learned about the violence in their neighborhood and how it was normal for them to run away from gunshots on a Saturday afternoon. While I knew that I could do something to help these students, I had no idea where I was supposed to start in helping them overcome trauma, community violence, and institutional failure. All of these questions pushed me to learn as much as I could about youth and effective interventions and preventions.
I started attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2012. I had the opportunity to learn effective intervention and prevention techniques from many amazing professors, group discussions, and internships. These 2 years taught me the importance of creating theories of change based on research; working with students, families, schools, and communities to set and accomplish common goals; and focusing on the strengths and funds of knowledge each person and group brings to the table. I also learned that I am a passionate motivator and supporter, a valuable collaborator, and a patient and group-oriented leader.
When I am not working with youth, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing touch rugby, hiking, and exercising. I love exploring new places, eating and cooking delicious food, and taking photographs of nature. Doing arts and crafts projects help me endure the cold New England winters.